This 10 days retreat is a wonderful opportunity to nourish your body, and mind, and achieve a better quality of life. You can participate in traditional and personalised yoga courses as well as in different meditation sessions along with other meditative and healing therapies at Shivam Neelkant Yoga Kendra (center).
Daily Yoga
You can practice Hatha yoga and a mix of Hatha and Ashtanga/Vinyasa flow yoga.
Hatha Yoga are more physical asanas which help to energise your body, to enhance its flexibility and strengthen the muscles and joints. It is the traditional form of yoga to prepare you for long sitting in meditation. The yoga asanas are also good to prevent or ease lower backache, neck pain or spinal problems.
Asthanga Yoga helps to bring flexibility, lose weight and to heat the body. Vinyasa is a more dynamic form of yoga. Bipan Gill teaches a mix of Ashtanga and Vinyasa yoga.
Yoga sessions usually take place in the morning (08:00 a.m - 09:30 a.m) and afternoon (04:00 p.m. - 05:30 p.m). The guest house provides cotton yoga carpets traditionally used in yoga (no plastic). You can bring your own yoga mat.
Daily Meditation
You can practice different types of meditation with Bipan 2-3 times on a daily basis. He practice the following meditation
- Bramamuharat meditation
- Kundalini Kriya meditation
- Chakra meditation
- Silence meditation.
Meditation sessions usually take place in the morning (07:00 a.m - 08:00 a.m) and evening (06:00 p.m - 07:00 p.m). Participants can optionally also join the meditation in the early morning (04:00 a.m - 06:30 a.m) which is the best time to awaken your energy, connect to the cosmos and nature as well as achieve peace of mind. Shivam Neelkant Yoga Kendra also can offer meditation sessions in nature, e.g. at the nearby waterfall.
Pranayama
Pranayama is the practice of breathing. In Sanskrit, “prana” means life energy and “yama” means control. It is a way to generate vital force and fire energy in your body. It helps to purify the body, lungs and nadis (energy channels). We practice different forms such as Naadi Sudhi, Bastrika, Ujjayi, Uddiyana bandha etc. as part of some yoga and meditation sessions.
Kriya Yoga
Kriya Yoga is sacred teaching of Dooninath Babaji Kriya Yogi of the Himalayas. He is the form of the great incarnation of Shiva energy. Master Babaji taught this sacred science to his disciples to open the energy channels and to lead the mind to the highest transcendental state of meditation (samadhi consciousness). Yogi Shivam is a direct disciple of Dooninath Babaji and teaches his knowledge to the retreat participants. He is practicing daily rituals such as Pooja and fire rituals in which participants can take part if they want to.
This retreat enables you to integrate the manifold facets and benefits of yoga with asanas, meditation, pranayama, deep relaxation, yogic kriyas, and more into your daily life.
Whether you are a beginner or professional yoga practitioner or teacher, a meditation and yoga retreat in India is the perfect course for a relaxing holiday in the hills of Dharamsala.
Typical daily schedule (changes possible)
- 04:00 - 06:30: Early morning meditation (optional)
- 07:00 - 08:00: Warming exercise, pranayama and meditation
- 08:00 - 09:30: Hatha yoga
- 09:30 - 10:30: Breakfast (Ayurvedic light breakfast)
- 10:30 - 13:00: Rest and relaxation
- 13:00 - 14:00: Lunch break (Ayurvedic healing food)
- 14:00 - 16:00: Rest and relaxation
- 16:00 - 17:30: Ashtanga/Vinyasa flow yoga
- 18:00 - 19:00: Pooja/ fire ritual and meditation
- 19:30 - 20:30: Dinner
Courses start every second Monday. Please contact Shivam Neelkant Yoga Kendra if you want to start another day.
